Harry Potter and the Mirror of Desire V2
by DX1998
Summary: Magic could do many things, that Harry Potter knew after only a few months at Hogwarts. But he never thought it could bring back his parents. That was just crazy and he knew he would never leave the Dursleys...until one night when he stumbles on an old mirror. Lily and James are back, and they will never leave their boy again. Rewrite of old fic.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: ****Well, its been a year, but I'm going back and redoing things here. I somehow doubt many people remember the first version of this, but I'm hoping this rewrite is more successful. Those who _do_ remember the old one will recognize the lions share of this material. I had a, mostly, good start to this story. If a bit jumpy and such. Thus, I'm using most of that to save time.**

**Will I be able to finish this? I'm not sure, but I'm giving it a shot at least. Hopefully I can keep it up for more than a month this time! :P**

* * *

Harry James Potter, aka 'The Boy Who Lived', was currently running along a hallway like his life depended on it. The eleven-year old First Year had snuck into the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library, using an invisibility cloak left to him by his father. His purpose there had been simple…find a book on Nicholas Flamel, because he had something to do with the mysterious room on the Third Floor. _What_ he had to do with it was up for debate of course, but Harry's curiosity got the better of him here.

Thus, after sneaking into the room, Harry had found the room to be full of dark looking books. There was even a sense of foreboding around some of the tomes. After opening a handful of the books, Harry had reached one that screamed in a disturbingly human voice when he opened it. Quickly slamming the book and replacing it, Harry ran out of the library, desperate to get away before someone found him. What the First Year hadn't expected however, was for Argus Filch, the Caretaker, to be right around the corner.

_Why was he in the Library?!_ Harry couldn't help but wonder, holding his breath as Filch moved closer and closer.

"Come out whoever you are!" Filch shouted, his lantern swinging dangerously close to Harry's cloak.

And it was thanks to that cloak that the old man didn't notice Harry, and continued on. This let the young boy get an opportunity to sneak off...or at least try to. Unfortunately for him, Filch had sharp ears for his age. The moment Harry had tried to open the door out of the library, the man spun around, sharp eyes scanning for whatever had made the noise. Naturally he couldn't see Harry, but it still spooked the eleven-year old enough for him to make a break for his dorm.

"Come back here!"

Not even looking over his shoulder, Harry ran as fast as he could without losing the all-important cloak. But he couldn't outrun Filch forever, and needed somewhere to hide. The first thing he saw was a slightly ajar door into an old classroom, and he took that option. Locking the door behind him, Harry barely dared to breathe as Filch examined the door.

"Locked…losing your touch Mrs. Norris. Come on, we need to find that little brat somewhere else," the man said, quickly moving off.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Harry slid down the doorframe. After getting his breath back, the young Gryffindor moved away from the door. His curiosity getting the better of him (and quickly forgetting it was why he was here in the first place), Harry started to explore the room. It was obviously a classroom of some sort, but it seemed like it had been out of use for quite awhile. The desks were covered in dust, and it looked like they hadn't been used for months at least. But when he reached the other end of the room, Harry saw something in the corner. It looked like a large mirror, gold frame and all. Walking around to the glass side, Harry got a bit of a shock. Instead of seeing just himself in the mirror, he saw two adults standing behind him.

Looking behind his back, the young First Year saw no one else. It was just him in the room, but when Harry looked back at the mirror, the adults were still standing there. Now that he looked closer, Harry could see them smiling at him. The woman had long red hair, and striking green eyes, while the man had messy black hair and hazel eyes behind large round glasses…it was then that Harry let out a sharp gasp of shock.

"Mum…Dad?" he said weakly, walking up to the mirror, barely able to believe his eyes.

The red-haired woman nodded her head, though she didn't talk. The man looked down at Harry, but quickly looked away. As the eleven-year old walked up to the mirror, he noticed tears in his father's eyes. James Potter was crying, and it looked like Lily Potter wasn't far behind.

Feeling wetness on his own cheeks, Harry realized that he was crying too. His parents…he hadn't even seen them before he got to Hogwarts. To be fair, he _still_ hadn't, beyond a few pictures. And now this mirror was letting him see them, and they see him. Was it some sort of portal? Could he communicate with his parents?

"Mum, Dad…can you hear me?" he managed to croak out.

James turned his head back around, wiping his eyes, and nodded. It seemed that neither James, nor Lily could talk back however. Or they could but Harry wouldn't have been able to hear them.

Continuing to walk forward, Harry managed to get out another question, though it was somewhat shaky, "Are you really there?"

James and Lily looked at each other, before turning back to Harry. They seemed somewhat hesitant to answer the question. Harry didn't notice that however…he was too busy looking them over, and committing everything to his memory. Once he actually reached the mirror, the young boy stared up at his parents. They were so much taller than him, but he didn't care. These were his _parents..._the parents he had never known. And they were smiling down on him, tears leaking out of their eyes. But the looks on their faces were so…proud. Harry had never been one to gain that look, not with the Dursleys. But...

_I like it. They love me.__ They really do love me._

Hesitantly, Harry reached a hand out towards the mirror. He saw Lily stick her own hand out, and so the young Gryffindor moved his hand towards hers. But instead of feeling the glass, Harry could have sworn he felt his mother's hand. It felt soft and warm…nothing like the cold glass he had been expecting. Harry looked up, and saw a look of shock on Lily's face. It seemed she hadn't expected to be able to touch him...but...how could she?

Though he relished in being able to feel his mother's hand, Harry knew he couldn't stay with the mirror much longer. It was only a matter of time until someone noticed him missing, and found the room. So gathering up the cloak he had discarded earlier, Harry gave one last look at the mirror. His parents gave the young boy encouraging looks, and with that image engraved in his mind, Harry left the room. He knew one thing for sure though…he was coming back the first chance he got. And Harry was going to bring Ron with him…maybe his friend knew more about what was going on? Or even Hermione…she would certainly know if there was anything _to_ know about this mirror.

Even so, one thought ran through his young brain.

_I _love_ magic!_

* * *

The next morning, Harry found himself barely picking at his food in the Great Hall. He hadn't been able to get to sleep the night before, not with the thoughts of the mirror running through his head. And so the young boy had no real desire to eat, since he couldn't get the thoughts out of his head. The forthcoming day was going to be torture for Harry, as he had to wait until after dark to actually get back to the mirror.

"Harry, why aren't you eating?" Hermione asked from across the table.

"Just not hungry Hermione," Harry replied, pushing a piece of bacon around on his plate.

Hermione just frowned back at him. It was obvious something was bothering her friend, but she wasn't sure what. It seemed that it was a good thing her parents had cancelled their plans and let her stay at Hogwarts after all. Looking to her other side, the young witch saw Ron stuffing his face full of food, and seemingly not noticing what was going on with Harry.

_Typical that_...was the thought that went through her head with a mental sigh.

Giving him a nudge with her elbow, Hermione got Ron to divert his attention to Harry. At which point he promptly started to talk to his friend.

"What's up mate? You aren't eating?" the redhead asked, after swallowing his food.

Harry looked over at Ron, "I'm not hungry Ron. Please guys, I'm fine."

Ron shrugged, knowing that Harry would spill whatever was bothering him eventually. Hermione looked ready to argue some more, but this time Ron nudged her shoulder. He shook his head slightly, and then went back to eating.

_He goes from ignoring Harry to being concerned for him?_

Huffing irritably, Hermione joined Ron in finishing her meal. Harry watched them eat, wondering when he would be able to tell them about the mirror. He had wanted to tell them right away, but realized that he couldn't let word of this get out. Harry was surprisingly mature for an eleven year old after all (hard not to be with what he went through at 'home'), and realized that he needed to keep this secret for as long as possible.

Once his friends were done eating, Harry stood up and followed them out of the Great Hall. With the amount of students home for the holidays there were no classes to go to. So the group went back to the common room, planning on resting and catching up on homework. At least, that was what Ron and Hermione were planning on…Harry was wondering if this would be his chance to let them know about his parents.

"It will be hard to hide in the day...but...I can't wait..." the boy muttered under his breath, his friends sending him concerned looks.

After giving the password to the Fat Lady, the small group sat down in the Common Room. It was empty aside from them, since very few people had stayed behind from Gryffindor, and they were all outside or roaming the castle at the moment. After settling in, Harry started to think about how he was going to bring up his concerns.

_Will they believe me? They're my best mates…but I don't know…_ the young boy thought anxiously, looking at his friends.

Noticing that he was looking their direction, Ron turned to Harry, "What's up Harry? I heard you muttering _something_ on the way up here."

Looking remarkably like a deer caught in the headlights, Harry said, "I found something last night while I was trying to find a book on Flamel."

Hermione looked surprised, "You were looking for a book? At night…oh Harry you didn't!"

Ron just looked confused, "Did what?"

"Sneak into the Restricted Section! And how did you do it?" Hermione replied, turning back to Harry.

"I got this as a Christmas present," Harry replied, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak and putting enough of it on his arm to hide it.

Hermione gasped, "An Invisibility Cloak? Those are very rare Harry…and very expensive. Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know…the letter just said it was my father's," the young Potter shrugged.

"And I remember you showing me that…it's still wicked by the way," Ron broke in, a little irritated at being ignored.

"But what did you find Harry?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron...again.

Taking a deep breath, Harry jumped head-first into his explanation, "When I was in the Restricted Section one of the books I opened screamed at me. I had to run away from Filch after that…and I had to hide in an old classroom. While I was in there, I found an old mirror, but it wasn't normal. I saw my parents standing behind me when I looked in it."

Both of Harry's friends gasped at that.

"You saw your parents? Are you sure it was them?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded, "Yeah…but that isn't it. When I touched my Mum's hand in the mirror…I felt her hand, not the glass. I don't know what to think…are they really inside that mirror?"

Once he finished saying that, Harry actually looked like the young boy he was…desperate to have his parents back, and clinging to the hope that they were inside that mirror and he could get them out.

Hermione for her part had a thoughtful look on her youthful face. She had never heard of magic like this before. Granted she was a Muggle-born, but she thought that she knew a lot of what there was to know. For his part, Ron was openly gaping at Harry. He was from a wizarding family, and an old one at that, but he hadn't ever heard of magic like this before. When people were dead...they stayed dead. Not popped up in some old mirror at Hogwarts.

Looking over at Hermione, Ron saw her deep in thought. The way she bit her lip and crinkled her brow told him as much. She was planning something…and the redhead knew he would be dragged into whatever it was. Soon enough, Ron saw Hermione stand up and walk up to Harry.

"I need you to show me this mirror Harry. And we need to get a teacher too," the young witch said.

Harry looked up at Hermione, brilliant green eyes going wide, "No! I don't want to bring a teacher in. What if they just take away the mirror? These are my _parents_ we are talking about Hermione!"

Hermione looked ready to argue, but she saw the crushed look in Harry's face at the idea of losing his parents again. Darn Potter and his puppy dog eyes…

"Oh fine then…but if this is dark magic we _are_ getting a teacher," Hermione said with a sigh.

Harry jumped up from his chair, "Thank you Hermione! Come on follow me!"

And with that, the young Potter almost ran from the Common Room, his excitement getting the best of him. Hermione and Ron chased after him, making sure that they didn't lose sight of Harry's mop of black hair, or attract any teachers. Eventually they reached an out of the way classroom door, in a deserted hallway. Harry opened the door, and waved his friends in, before shutting and locking it.

As they looked around the room, it didn't take long for Hermione and Ron to notice the rather large mirror. Of course, Harry had already walked over to it, and was gazing longingly at his parents. But his friends were shooting him confused looks. For they didn't see James and Lily Potter in the mirror.

Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, holding up the Quidditch Cup, and standing aside from all his brothers. Hermione however, saw herself surrounded by books in a massive library, with her friends and family around her and congratulating her on her hard work.

"Harry...I don't see your parents," Hermione said, while Ron was just gazing at the mirror in awe.

Said boy turned around, "You don't? But they're right there."

Hermione shook her head, "I just see myself in a library Harry."

"And I see myself as Head Boy with the Quidditch Cup…this is a wicked mirror Harry!" Ron added eagerly.

"Bu…my parents are right there," Harry said, turning back to the mirror, and seeing sad looks on Lily and James' faces.

Hermione meanwhile, had torn her eyes from the image in the mirror, and was reading the inscription on top of it. _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_…it was obviously Latin, and it seemed to be reversed. Which made sense, since it was written on a mirror after all. Muttering under her breath, Hermione worked at translating the inscription. She knew some Latin after all, and she figured she could translate it. Sometimes being a bookworm could come in handy.

"_I show not your face but your heart's desire_," Hermione read under her breath...at least she thought that was what it said.

That explained why her and Ron were seeing different things than Harry then. They were seeing their hearts desires, just like Harry would be seeing his parents. After all…what more could an orphan want than to see their parents smiling faces?

"Harry…this mirror is just showing us what we _want_ to see. It isn't real," the young witch said, hating having to break Harry's heart like that.

"But…I felt my Mum's hand…it can't be just that. Ron, see if you can feel anything," Harry asked his best mate, who was still staring at the mirror.

Nodding absently, Ron walked forward and brought a hand to the mirror. He touched one of the twins, but felt nothing more than cold glass. Shaking his head slightly, Ron turned back to Harry.

"I'm sorry mate, but all I felt was the glass," the redhead replied, walking over to his friends.

Harry just shook his head in denial. It just didn't make sense…why could he feel him Mum when they couldn't?

"Maybe you couldn't feel anything because your brothers are alive!" the young boy said. It made as much sense as anything.

Ignoring his friends comments on that, Harry walked back up to the mirror. Lily and James looked down at Harry sadly, knowing what must be going through their son's head.

Shakily reaching a hand up, Harry tried to touch his parents again. And once again, Lily stuck her own hand out. When Harry touched the mirror, he felt his Mum's hand again. It was still the same soft warmth as the last time. But this time, Lily didn't look shocked…she just looked happy, even with tears rolling down her face. It was then that the Gryffindor realized his parents hadn't seen him since he was a baby. This had to be the same for them as it was for him.

_I miss them so much! Why can't Ron or Hermione see them?!_

But Harry had to tear his eyes away from her, when he heard two gasps behind him. Hermione and Ron were standing slack jawed and staring at the mirror in shock. Instead of seeing their own images, they now saw a very faint image of a woman they could only assume was Lily Potter.

"Harry…we can see your Mum now…" Hermione said in a shaky voice.

"You can? I told you that they were there!" Harry shouted back, happy that his friends could see his parents…or at least one of them.

But then he felt an odd tingling sensation in his hand…and was shocked to see that Lily's hand was now grasping it. His Mum's soft hand was sticking outside the mirror, and Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Looking up at Lily, Harry saw a look of extreme concentration on her otherwise beautiful face. It was obvious that she was doing something…but what?

"Harry mate…you're glowing…" Ron said in shock, looking on as his friend took on an otherworldly glow...what was going on?

Harry didn't hear him though, as he felt himself slowly pushed away from the mirror as more and more of his Mum came out of it, with James holding on to her other arm. As his friends watched in shock, James and Lily Potter came out of the mirror, and stood tall next to Harry. Something that shouldn't have been possible. It shouldn't have been possible _at all_.

"Wh…what just happened?" Hermione asked Ron.

"I don't know…tell me I'm not seeing things Hermione…is that Harry's parents next to him?" Ron asked back, rubbing his eyes to see if the impossible sight was still there.

Hermione nodded, her own brown eyes wide as saucers, "Yes…those are Harry's parents, I recognize them from the books…but how?"

Before Ron could form an answer, they were distracted as they saw Harry launch himself at his parents. Lily held onto him, hugging her son tightly while James patted her on the back. Despite the shock of the situation, the young First Years couldn't help smiling at that.

"I'm so sorry Harry…I'm so, so sorry that you had to grow up without us…" Lily said, stroking her son's hair.

"I don't care about that Mum…I'm just so glad to have you back," Harry mumbled into his mother's shirt, completely overwhelmed by what had just happened.

"Don't worry Son…we aren't leaving you again," James said, moving his hand to pat Harry on the back...frowning as his son flinched slightly at that.

Said boy looked up, tears flowing freely from his green eyes, "I know you won't Dad…Voldemort is gone, you don't have any reason to leave me again...right?"

Ron and Hermione flinched at that name, while James and Lily just smiled down at Harry.

"You've got that right kiddo, we aren't leaving you again," James replied with a grin on his face as he ruffled Harry's hair…something he hadn't done in ten long years.

"Of course we won't leave you Harry…we love you with all our hearts," Lily added, giving her son a kiss on his forehead.

Most kids would have been angry and moved away from all the attention…but Harry just soaked it all in, and enjoyed every moment of it. He was finally back with his parents…he almost couldn't believe that his was real. But then he remembered that his friends were also in the room. Hesitantly moving out of Lily's hug, Harry walked his parents over to Ron and Hermione. Who were still in shock at the impossibility of what they were seeing.

"Mum…Dad…these are my friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasly," Harry said proudly.

Lily spoke up first, "It is nice to meet you. I am happy that Harry has such wonderful friends, who would come with him on something like this. Especially with unknown magic."

"Weasly eh…Arthur and Molly's kid?" James asked, looking over Ron, "red hair...freckles...I would be surprised if you weren't."

"Yes sir…" Ron replied hesitantly. After all, he was talking to someone who by all rights should be dead.

"Good people the Weasly's…I'm glad that Harry made friends with them," James said with an approving nod, before turning back to Harry, "I'm assuming that Padfoot or Moony introduced you to them right Harry? Probably met them years ago I would think."

Said boy gave his newly returned Father an odd look, "Pad…foot? Moony? Who are they Dad?"

James' face turned into a mask of shock, "You don't know Sirius and Remus? But they were supposed to raise you if we died…right Lils?"

Unspoken, but still in the front of the elder Potter's head was how Harry had flinched when he patted him on the back. Why would he do that? Especially if he was raised by Sirius or Remus?

Lily nodded, fairly confused herself, "Yes they were James…what happened to them Harry?"

Before Harry could answer, Ron let out a strangled gasp, "Sirius? Sirius Black? You wanted the man who betrayed you to raise Harry?"

James eyes took on a dark look, a look that would send lesser men running for their lives, "Sirius would never betray us…that was Peter Pettigrew."

Ron gulped, "I'm sorry sir! But everyone knows what happened to Sirius Black…he betrayed you and killed Mr. Pettigrew afterwards…he's been in Azkaban ever since. That's what I was told when I told my parents about Harry anyway."

"Azkaban…what were you thinking Albus…you know that Sirius would never betray me," James muttered darkly, before heading for the door.

"James wait! We can't just leave and walk around Hogwarts!" Lily shouted, dragging Harry along with her...mostly because her son was in shock still.

"And why the Hell not?! Albus would only have to use Veritiserum on Sirius to know he wasn't the Secret Keeper…so why hasn't he in ten years Lils?! Ten. Years!" James angrily said back.

"Umm…excuse me Mister and Mrs. Potter…but what are you talking about?" Hermione asked in a small voice, finally getting over her shock.

Lily turned to the young girl with a gentle smile on her face, hiding the anger that rivaled James', "When we were hiding from Voldemort, we made people think that Sirius was our Secret Keeper…the one keeping us hidden. But we really switched to our other friend, Peter Pettigrew…who betrayed us to Voldemort."

"And I'm going to figure out why Albus hasn't figured that out yet!" James angrily said, opening the door and storming towards the Headmasters office.

Lily sighed, and had the kids follow quickly behind her, hoping to avoid any encounters with the residents of the Castle. After all, what more could be worthy of the Hogwarts rumor mill than the return of the Potters?

* * *

**AN: Well, there we go. Again, mostly the same but I cleaned things up somewhat. Also, as was stated in the original authors note:**

_**NO CHARACTER BASHING.**_

**No matter how much people say 'Dumbledore sucks! manipulative old *******!' I'm not going to treat characters any different than the _canon_ view of them, or how _canon_ Lily/James would treat them. So annoyance with Dumbledore/Snape/anyone else that did something bad to Harry...yes. Hating them/thinking they are evil/bashing..._NO_. The Dursleys will be the furthest Lily/James go in 'hate' mode. Nor will I be making bad guys good. Snape _is_ redeemable, with Lily around to straighten him out. But there are limits there. Malfoy and the Slytherins...I'm sorry, but short of making them totally OOC there is little that can be done there. **

**Sorry, but I had to get that out since its my biggest pet-peeve with the HP fandom. Now, assuming that didn't make people ditch the story...I'm hoping to have the second chapter rewritten soon, if at all possible. See you all then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: And here we are with the second chapter. I'm going to give a warning now though...this is _fast_ by my standards (look at Change of Fate if you don't believe me :p ). A regular update will take up to a month, if my other story is any indication. The only reason this chapter (and the next one in all likelihood) will be up quicker is because I'm rewriting them from old material. Completely new chapters will be significantly slower.**

**Just letting you all know.**

* * *

**Meanwhile**

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office, looking over some of the many papers he would have to sign. Some days, the old man wished he wasn't in so many posts…especially when it came to the paperwork. Reaching for one of his various sweets, Albus went back to signing the variety of papers scattered over his desk. A note from a teacher here, a request from the Ministry there.

_Ah how I wish for simpler times_, Dumbledore mused with a chuckle...that cut out when a device in the corner of his office started to glow an angry red and spew smoke. Quickly abandoning his work, Albus moved towards the device.

This was not good…this device had a very specific purpose, and it shouldn't look like this. The device monitored the status of the Blood Wards surrounding the Dursley home on Privet Drive. Normally it glowed a bright emerald, nearly the same shade as Harry's eyes. For it to be glowing such an angry red…

_The Wards have fallen…how can this be… _Albus thought in shock (and worry), as he heard someone charging up the spiral staircase into his office.

Turning to the door, the old Headmaster saw Severus Snape, panting heavily, as if he had just run all the way from the dungeons. Regaining some of his typical composure, Snape looked Albus in the eyes, black against blue. Worry was shown in those dark depths, same as the worry currently going through Dumbledore's mind.

"The Wards around Potter's home have fallen Headmaster. Do you have any knowledge of this?" the Potions Master asked.

In answer, Albus gestured at the slowly melting monitoring device behind him. Snape's black eyes focused on the device, and he gave a curt nod of his head. The Professor had his own monitoring device, and it was in a similar state. Not that it surprised Albus that his spy had one himself...the man didn't want Harry dead anymore than Albus himself, even if the Potions Master would never admit to that.

"What does this mean Albus? Have the Muggles been killed?" Snape asked, moving his eyes back to Albus.

Said man sighed heavily, his eyes missing their normal twinkle, "I do not know Severus. I haven't received word from Arabella yet, so I can only assume this is some problem with the magic, not the Dursleys."

Snape nodded, "I will leave to check immediately. The students will miss me less than the others. Though it eludes me what could harm Blood Wards of that complexity."

Albus nodded himself, "Good luck Severus…don't do anything reckless if this is Death Eaters."

Snape snorted, "What do you take me for Headmaster? A Gryffindor?"

With that, the Potions Master turned back around, his large black robe billowing behind him. As Snape walked towards the door, he moved to swing it open. However, before he could, it was opened from the other side. Albus couldn't see who had opened it from behind Severus, but he heard the Professor let out a strangled gasp.

_"Lily!_"

Albus prided himself on his hearing, and he heard the single word that Severus had managed to get out before moving aside holding his chest. To shock Severus Snape like that...and that name...it couldn't be, could it? They had been dead for over a decade now, and no magic could bring back the dead. Leave alone bring them back this long after they had died. Yet, standing in the doorway was a sight that the Headmaster had never expected to see again…

Standing tall were Lily and James Potter, alive and well. And behind them was their son, the youngest Weasley, and Ms. Granger, all looking small and nervous at being in this office. Turning his eyes back to the Potters, Albus saw a look of barely controlled anger on their faces. He didn't understand it however…he didn't even understand how they were alive once more, and for a man like Albus Dumbeldore, not understanding something was horrible indeed.

"Hello _Headmaster_," James Potter started, putting emphasis on Albus' title.

For once in his life, Dumbledore was struck silent. Not only were the Potters alive once more, they seemed to be disturbingly angry with him. What could possibly be the reason for this? Oh...

_Harry must have told them about the Dursleys...but they haven't hurt him or anything like that, I would surely know if it was that bad..._

"James, Lily…how are you here?" the Headmaster managed to get out past his shock.

"Our son…he pulled us out of a Mirror in an abandoned classroom. Now, would you mind explaining why he isn't living with Sirius or Remus? Or why Sirius is in Azkaban?" James replied.

Albus' eyes widened…a mirror? It had to have been the Mirror of Erised…but that artifact just showed a person's desires. It made sense that his parents would be Harry's…but how had he found the Mirror? And how in Merlin's name did he get his parents out of it? It wasn't like Dumbledore could reach in and pull Ariana out...Merlin knew he would if he could.

"Black is in Azkaban for betraying you, _Potter_," Snape said, finally finding his voice and glaring at James.

"You are _still_ holding on to that rivalry Severus?" Lily asked, stepping between the two men, leaving James to concentrate on Albus.

Ignoring Snape, James continued talking to Albus, "Really Albus, I thought you were smarter than this. You knew Sirius, and you know he would never betray us. All it would have taken was some Veritiserum to tell he wasn't our Secret Keeper…Hell, just look at his arm and you wouldn't see a Dark Mark. And there is _no reason_ that Remus shouldn't be taking care of Harry if you are so set on keeping Sirius locked up."

Albus looked like he had been forced to eat a particularly sour candy, "James, if that is who you are, Sirius is in Azkaban because he murdered twelve Muggles, and Peter Pettigrew. And, as much as it pains me, the Ministry refused even a suggestion of letting young Harry stay with Remus."

"Oh that's rich…you doubt who I am now Albus? Lils, do you think a Patronus is in order?" James asked with a sardonic laugh.

"Go ahead Dear," Lily replied, still staring a shocked Snape down.

"Expecto Patronum," James said, a silvery Stag shooting out of his wand (though one could question _how_ he had his wand in the first place).

"Wicked…" Ron muttered, the first word to come out of the children's mouths since this had started.

Albus leaned back in his chair, shock written even more across his face than before. This _was_ James Potter, beyond a shadow of a doubt. It was not possible to fake a Patronus, not even Riddle could do that. And...the 'aura' around James was very familiar as he cast that spell. So too was the wand in his hand. Things just added up, even as hard to believe as they may be.

"Convinced now Albus? Now would you kindly explain to me why Harry isn't living with Remus then? And I don't believe that Sirius would murder anyone, let alone that many people," James said.

"The Ministry refused to let Remus raise Harry…a werewolf raising the Boy-Who-Lived? I despise the bigotry and know Remus would never harm Harry...but I have no control over the Ministry," Albus replied.

"I never took you as one to believe in that type of prejudice Headmaster," Lily said, turning away from Snape.

"A werewolf…" Hermione whispered to Harry, who shrugged…what did she expect him to know?

Albus looked his age, as he shook his head sadly. As he had said, he hated the Ministry's views on werewolfs. He didn't agree with it at all, but there was truly nothing he could have done to get either Fudge or his predecessor to condone having Harry live with Remus. Even leaving out the importance of keeping him with Petunia...for his own safety.

"So where have you been keeping Harry then Albus? The Weasleys? The Longbottoms?" James asked, narrowing his eyes at the guilty look on the Headmaster's face.

"No…when Lily sacrificed herself to save Harry, it left very powerful Blood Magic protection behind. Harry needed to live with blood relatives to keep the protection and with the death of the Potter Family…" Albus trailed off.

A sharp gasp came from Lily, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbeldore you didn't…you sent my _son_ to _her_?!"

If it was possible, Albus looked even guiltier than before, "It was the only option Lily dear…Harry needed the protection…"

"Don't call me 'dear' mister! You know how Petunia and her whale of a husband felt about magic! They would never treat Harry kindly!" Lily shouted, green eyes boring a hole into Albus.

For his part, Severus stared wide-eyed at Lily…_That is definitely Lily…no one else would say something like that to Albus Dumbeldore…_

And indeed, even James was slowly backing away from his wife. All the stereotypes of fiery redheads aside, he was well-versed in his wife's temper. And right now, Dumbledore had said the _worst_ thing he could have in her view. And Lily was going to tear him to metaphorical shreds over it, and anyone who got in her way...well, God help them.

"Please don't yell at him…I'm sure he thought it was okay…" a tiny voice came from behind the Potters.

Turning around, they saw Harry with tears in his big green eyes. It was obvious he didn't like seeing his parents yelling at Albus. Of course, they couldn't know _why_ Harry didn't like seeing adults yelling, how could they? Even Albus didn't know because he kept a very loose eye on the Dursley household. He knew they didn't like Magic, but he didn't know just how far that 'dislike' spread...

Lily immediately ran to Harry and scooped him into a hug, whispering calming words to him. Her temper had evaporated as quickly as it had come, worry for her only son overriding it. James meanwhile wore a guilty look on his face…he hadn't realized he had been scaring Harry. Watching Lily comfort their son, James turned back to Albus and continued the argument in a calmer voice than before.

"I'm sorry for being so angry with you Albus. But you have to understand…we died thinking that Harry would be safe and raised by Sirius and Remus. Not that one of them would be in Azkaban, for no reason I might add, and the other barred from even _seeing_ him. And forcing Harry on the Dursleys? I shudder to think of what they must have put him through there," James said, with a heavy sigh.

Albus sighed himself, "You must understand James…I didn't have a choice. Sirius betrayed you, they found him laughing in the street about murdering Peter and all those poor Muggles. And the Ministry refused to let Remus raise Harry, which believe me...I would have given him the opportunity if not for that and the Blood Wards. And as sad as I am to inform you of this, the Longbottoms were tortured into insanity…they couldn't take him either. They couldn't even raise their own son."

James looked sick at the last part, but forged on, "Did Sirius even get a trial before you, or the Ministry at least, tossed him in that hell? No…of course he didn't, any trial would have proved him innocent. Please Albus, get him a trial with Veritiserum. Lily and I will even testify to free him. Peter was the Secret Keeper, not Sirius."

Honestly, Albus Dumbledore had reached the point where nothing he heard surprised him right now. Hearing that Sirius was the decoy and that Peter was the real Secret Keeper wasn't _that_ hard to believe. After all, making Sirius 'James' brother in all but blood' Black the Keeper would have been obvious to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of the Potters. Peter...would admittedly seem like a safer option. But, if what James said was _true_...it hadn't worked as planned.

"I'm afraid that I can't let you and Lily expose yourselves yet James. Voldemort still has supporters, and I'm not convinced he is even truly gone. We need to keep you safe, and out of the public eye until we have a new safe haven," the elderly Headmaster said softly.

James glared at him, and only the soft whispers of his wife comforting their son kept him from yelling at Albus again. So, the elder Potter took a deep calming breath, and then sighed. Looking at the wand in his hand, James clenched it tightly...angry at himself, but knowing that his former Headmaster was very much correct.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you have a point Albus," the messy-haired man said, "the last thing I want to do is leave Harry an orphan again, and I know that Malfoy and the rest of those damn Death Eaters wouldn't hesitate to attack us again. We need to at least improve the Wards at my Manor before we expose ourselves."

Albus nodded, faintly relieved that James wasn't ripping into him again, "and while I _want _to get Sirius a trial, it doesn't change the fact that he murdered Peter and all those Muggles…his innocence in betraying you wouldn't count against that. Believe me...if he is innocent of betraying you, I can't help but be angry with myself for leaving him there for so long...but that does not change things with the Ministry."

James ran a hand through his messy black hair, "How exactly did Peter die?"

"Sirius cornered him in a crowded street, and after he shouted 'how could you betray Lily and James Sirius? I thought you were their friend', Sirius shot a curse at him that blew up the street and killed Peter and the Muggles. All they found of him was a finger," Albus narrated from the official reports.

James looked thoughtful, "All they found was a finger…Albus, what about the Muggles? How powerful was this curse?"

The Headmaster looked confused, "The ones closest to the blast had nothing left of them. Further out they were…"

"Not in front of the children!" Lily scolded, still holding onto Harry, who by this point had collapsed into Lily's arms, nearly exhausted.

Albus had the grace to look sheepish, "Yes…sorry. In any case, it isn't a surprise that they only found a finger and nothing else."

"'Nothing else'? Doesn't that sound a little suspicious Albus? They didn't find any bits of clothing? Or other pa…" James started, only stop at a withering glare from Lily.

That made Albus think. It did indeed seem odd. How did the Ministry find a perfectly intact finger, but no other parts of Peter? If the finger wasn't even damaged, well not anymore damaged than being on its own anyway, shouldn't there at least have been some bloody clothing around it? That was suspicious, but there hadn't been any sign of Peter apparating, so what else could it be? And yet...Albus nearly slapped his face at their _stupidity._ Any spell that would blow away Peter and the Muggles would have left either nothing at all, or more than a single _suspiciously intact_ finger behind.

"That is odd James, but Peter didn't apparate away, so it doesn't prove Sirius didn't kill him," the Headmaster said...though the words sounded weak even to him.

James started to pace, ignoring Snape, who had moved closer to Lily. The elder Potter was starting to wonder how exactly this could have happened. And then it hit him…if Peter had transformed into his rat Animagus he could have escaped unnoticed…and if he cut a finger off, while shooting off a curse to pin the blame on Sirius…

"I think I know what happened Albus!" James suddenly shouted, shocking everyone in the office.

"What is it James?" Albus asked.

"This will be hard to believe, but while we were at Hogwarts, Sirius, Peter, and I all became Animagi, so that we could be with Remus during his transformations. Peter was a rat, a little grey rat. If he cut his finger off and shot off a curse after shouting at Sirius, he could have transformed and escaped with no one other than Sirius knowing how! And if he was distraught enough over our deaths to go after Peter, I doubt Sirius was in any shape mentally to tell anyone about it," James explained, all in one breath somehow.

Albus looked thoughtful, "I am impressed you could do something so advanced James. And it does sound like Peter could have done that. The only way to confirm it is Sirius however, and he is still locked up in Azkaban. Though if you would please show me your Animagus Form, it would go a long way to proving things."

James nodded, and before the shocked eyes of Harry and his friends, the man changed into a magnificent Stag, with glasses shaped marks around its eyes. After shaking his head a couple times, James turned back into his human form.

"Believe me now Albus? Can you use that to help get Sirius out?"

Albus just shook his head, "I wish it were that easy James, but it is not. Cornelius Fudge, the current Minister, would never take the news getting out that Sirius was innocent. It will be a long process to convince him that Sirius deserves to be heard out."

James looked ready to explode, "This Fudge will keep an innocent man locked up, just to protect his public image? How did he become Minister?"

"Through being propped up by the likes of Lucius Malfoy. He is also in the pockets of his supporters, and several of them would rather see Black rot away in prison," Severus said, speaking for the first time in a while.

James looked at his former rival with a new eye. It seemed that Snape was actually talking sense this time. Turning back to Albus, James started talking again, "I see…can you get Sirius a trial on your own Albus? You _are_ the Chief Warlock. Or will we need to help? I don't like putting Lily or Harry in danger again, but we _can't_ just leave Sirius in that prison."

"It may take a while, but I can convince Cornelius to at least give Sirius a trial. He will resist it, but the image of setting an innocent man free, correcting a problem that his predecessor started, might help," Albus replied, "but even as Chief Warlock, my power is limited. I can call for a trial without Fudge's support, but it would alienate the Ministry...something we can _not_ afford if Voldemort does indeed return.

"And Harry?"

"I do believe that the Blood Wards will be tied to _you_ now James. Harry is related to you, more so than his relation to Petunia. And Lily's sacrifice isn't rendered void by you two returning, I would assume. It will require me to check the Wards however."

James nodded, "I don't like it, but I will trust your judgment on this Albus, if only for Harry's sake. But if you don't have Sirius out by summer, I _will_ go to the Minister myself. Risks or no risks."

Albus nodded, "I understand…now I do believe your son needs some rest."

Looking back, James saw Lily was now sitting on the floor, Harry's head in her lap as the stress finally caught up to the young boy. Ron and Hermione were looking on worriedly.

"Can we take Harry to Potter Manor, Albus? It should still be intact, and we can stay there since Godric's Hollow isn't safe anymore," James asked.

The Headmaster nodded, his eyes twinkling again, "Of course James. I do believe his friends should go too however. It would help if young Harry could wake up to familiar faces."

James nodded, and gently took Harry from Lily and wrapped his son's arms around his neck, and his legs around his waist. Gently carrying Harry to the fireplace, James used the floo to travel to Potter Manor. Ron showed Hermione how to use it, and they followed. Lily however, took a second to look at Severus.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you for so long Sev…I hope that you didn't mean what you said, all those years ago. And I hope we can fix our friendship now that I'm back. Please just give Harry a chance…even in this short of time, I can tell you he _isn't_ James," Lily said softly, before going through the floo herself.

Albus looked over at Snape to see slight tears in his eyes. It was obvious that the normally emotionless Potions Master was a bit overwhelmed. So Albus let him have his space. In any case, the Headmaster had some real work to do now…he needed to get Sirius the trial he deserved, and get in contact with Remus Lupin. Things had changed, and hopefully for the better.

* * *

**AN: Just like the last one, this is _mostly_ the same. I did some fixing of plot points and dialogue, but otherwise, not much different from the original version. Next chapter will be up when I'm finished fixing it up (it, arguably, requires the most work of the original three chapters though). See you all then! :D**

**(and reviews are always appreciated ;) )  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: And now we have the third original chapter (faster than I had thought too). After this things will be new material, and to go along with that I have a question of my reviewers...  
**

**Right at this moment, I'm leaning to _mostly_ canon pairings. Lily/James, Ron/Hermione and so forth (unlike most on this site apparently, I _like_ them as a couple). Obviously that's far in the future for the kids (they're only eleven right now). Now, the question comes with Harry...I'm _currently_ leaning Harry/Tonks, since I've been reading some _darn_ good stories with that pairing. The only other option there is Harry/Ginny.**

**Thus, I'm asking my readers which they prefer. Either works for me (though I am leaning more to the former). The amount of time I have before any non-adult pairings come into play gives me time to work with so its not like I have plans that would be ruined or anything. The only thing I request is simple..._PLEASE_ don't review with something other than those two. No 'Harry/Hermione!' or 'Harry/Daphne! (seriously? She has how many lines in canon...two?)' or 'Harry/Luna!'.**

**Just Harry/Tonks or Harry/Ginny please. Other votes aren't going to be counted. But enough about that, onto the story!**

* * *

**Potter Manor**

* * *

Stepping out of the fireplace, Lily saw the sitting room of the Manor. It was large, to put it mildly, considering that it could comfortably fit the entire Weasley family with room to spare. But it was empty, since it appeared the James had taken the kids to one of the bedrooms. Lily had only been to the Manor a handful of times, since they had went into hiding at Godric's Hollow fairly early on (what other choice did they have at the time?). But she still knew her way around, and it didn't take long for the young woman to find James and Harry.

Lily walked into the main bedroom, and saw James sitting on the bed, with Harry laying next to him, their young son fast asleep. James was slowly rubbing Harry's shoulder, obviously just glad to be able to touch his son again. Lily smiled slightly at the sight…it was something they had wanted to do for _so long_. They hadn't been able to see or hold their son since he had been a baby...to see him as an eleven year old, and so thin...it tore at both Potter's hearts. Just what had they missed?

Looking up, James noticed his wife entering the room and gave her a tired smile, "Hey Lily…Harry hasn't woken up since we left the Floo. His friends are in the guest rooms, I had the House Elves bring them some food."

Lily nodded, and sat down on the bed next to James and Harry. She leaned her head on James' shoulder, while stroking a hand through her son's messy hair. Harry shifted slightly at the touch, a small smile forming on his lips. It seemed he instinctively knew it was his mother's hand. That brought a small smile to Lily's face, as she talked to James.

"He looks so much like you James…how much have we missed?" Lily asked, holding back tears.

James sighed, "I don't even want to think about that Lils. And he has your eyes…coupled with my amazing good looks he'll have girls falling all over him when he gets older."

Lily snorted softly at James' attempt at a joke. Some things never changed...like James Potter using bad humor to try and distract her. Continuing to lean on her husband's shoulder, Lily sighed deeply. While she was happy to be back with Harry, that didn't change how _horrible_ the world had seemingly become.

"What are we going to do now James? I don't want to leave Sirius in Azkaban any more than you do…and what about Remus? Oh God…how much pain has been going through with us dead and Sirius in that prison?" the red-haired witch said sadly.

James wore a somber look on his normally handsome face, "I know Lily…I know. As much as I want to trust Albus, he can only do so much. I don't like to admit it, but he _was_ right. The DMLE and Minister are going to have to be convinced to let Sirius out. I wish there was someway we could get Sirius out _ourselves_."

Lily looked up slightly, "What are you planning James? We can't go around yet…Albus is right about that. And how can we contact Remus without him passing us off as Death Eaters?"

"I don't want to admit it, but you're right. As much as I would _love_ to meet the Minister, we need to strengthen the Wards around the Manor before then. As for Remus…I have an idea," James said, with a small bit of his old glint back in his hazel eyes.

"What are you planning dear?" Lily asked, fully sitting up (though her hand never left Harry).

Without answering, James stood up, "_Expecto Patronum._"

With those words, for the second time this day a silvery stag shot out of the elder Potter's wand. James turned towards his Patronus and started talking to it.

"Take this message to Moony, _"Moony, come to Potter Manor. I know you will be skeptical of this, but it is Prongs. Please, give me a chance and come to the Manor. I can prove anything you want once you are here."_

With a slight nod of its silvery head, the Patronus jumped out the room's window and galloped off into the distance. James turned back to Lily, and saw her brilliant green eyes wide.

"It was all I could think of that Moony would believe Lily. He's an expert with Patronus', he will recognize mine anywhere," James explained.

Lily nodded, "That is true James. But what will we do while we wait? And I wish you wouldn't take risks like that."

James sighed, "I'm exhausted Lils…and I'm sure you are too. Let's get Harry into bed, and get a couple chairs. If I'm right about what your _dear sister_ did to him Harry will need us nearby. I'm scared of how he'll react though."

Lily nodded sadly. She could see the cold logic in what James was saying. She knew Petunia and her sorry excuse for a Husband better than anyone else…and they wouldn't have treated Harry well. How he had reacted to James shouting at Albus was enough of a clue there. So she moved aside and allowed James to carefully tuck Harry into the large bed. He then summoned a pair of Potter Family House Elves, who transported in a couch for James and Lily to sleep on. While they were worried how Harry would react when he woke up, they weren't going to leave him alone by any means.

The Potters moved to lay down on the Couch, but before they could, a small knock came from the door. James walked over to it, and opened the heavy wooden barrier. Standing on the other side, and looking every bit their age, were Ron and Hermione.

"He…hello Mister Potter. We were wondering if we could see Harry," Hermione stuttered, with Ron nodded his head behind her.

James did his best to replicate Lily's 'child calming' smile, "Of course you can…you are his friends after all."

Moving out of the children's way, James watched as they walked past Lily to stand at the side of the bed. From the look of relief mixed with worry on their faces, it was obvious that Ron and Hermione were both worried and happy to see Harry.

Silently walking over to Lily while the kids whispered to each other, James quietly said, "They are true friends Lily. Harry is lucky to have them. Reminds me of Sirius and Remus when I got hurt playing Quidditch."

Lily nodded, her eyes wet, "Yes, yes he is James. I'm so happy that he has such wonderful friends."

James wrapped an arm around his wife, while Ron and Hermione finished talking. The two children sent hopeful looks at the Potters.

"Can we please stay in here Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" Ron asked this time.

"We don't want to leave Harry…" Hermione said softly.

Lily smiled gently at them, "Of course you can stay in here. James dear?"

James nodded, and called back the Elves. He felt somewhat guilty at making them do so much work, but the Elves were just happy to have their master back, so they didn't mind. Though it was amusing to see the kid's reactions to the Elves. Quickly they set up a pair of small beds for Ron and Hermione. The two children were soon fast asleep, leaving just the Potters awake again.

Sighing heavily, the pair sat down on the couch. It didn't take them long to fall asleep. It had taken a lot of energy to get through that mirror, and they had been running on adrenaline ever since. Now the pair just wanted to rest. But, when would there ever be rest for any member of the Potter Family?

* * *

**Meanwhile  
**

* * *

A cool breeze blew through the small house, as the front door was opened. Stepping through the door was a tall man with graying brown hair. Removing a scarf from his neck, the man shut his door. Running a hand over his scarred face, he tried to get some feeling back in his face. Living in Scotland during the winter was not good for walking outside.

Giving it up as a lost cause, the man walked further into his home. Looking around, one would see nothing but bare walls. The home was…Spartan…to say the least. The same could be said of the man's clothing, patched and frayed as it was. It was obvious that the man was poor, but still making a living.

When he reached his sitting room, the man sat down on the nearest piece of furniture and let out a heavy sigh.

_Fired again…it is so hard to keep a job now…_ Remus Lupin thought wearily, realizing it was only a matter of time until he would lose this house, like every other one he had lost over the years.

Letting out another sigh, he stood back up and moved for his one bedroom. Flicking his wand, Remus summoned his trunk and began packing his few possessions. While it was possible he wouldn't be forced out, it was very likely. Such was the life of a werewolf, trying to make an honest living. He had never complained about it, but Remus knew things could be so much better than they were.

But his gloomy thoughts were soon forced out, and the few happy memories he still cherished came to the front of his mind. Remus gasped lightly, realizing immediately what this was. Spinning around, he confirmed his suspicions seeing a silvery Patronus standing in his room. The first thought that went through his head was _why_ a Patronus was in his room. That went out the proverbial window when he looked closer.

The werewolf couldn't believe his eyes though when he saw the shape the Patronus took.

"Pro..Prongs?" He asked, his voice cracking as his long-dead friend's Patronus looked in his amber eyes.

The silvery stag nodded its head, before James' voice echoed through the room, _"Moony, come to Potter Manor. I know you will be skeptical of this, but it is Prongs. Please, give me a chance and come to the Manor. I can prove anything you want once you are here."_

With that said, the Patronus began to fade from sight. Remus almost stuck a hand forward, but pulled it back at the last second. This couldn't be James…he had been dead for ten years. But the shape of the Patronus…the message it had given him…they nagged at Remus' brain. He was one of the experts on Patronus'…and James had known that. If his old-friend had truly come back to life somehow, he would know to send Prongs to let Remus know. And it just wasn't possible to fake a Patronus. But still…James was dead…Remus had seen his body in the casket at the Potters funeral.

Collapsing onto his bed, Remus looked up at his ceiling in shock. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. This…this just defied explanation. He was so out of it, that the werewolf didn't hear the tapping at his window at first. Who could blame him really? Not often you got seemingly irrefutable proof your dead best friend came back to life.

_James…Prongs…how…he can't be alive. I watched them bury him…it can't be his Patronus…but you can't fake one…_ all of these thoughts were running through Remus' head as he lay on his bed.

But eventually he heard the tapping, and wearily turned his head towards the rooms window. Sitting outside it was an irate looking owl. Getting up on unsteady feet, Remus walked over to the window and opened it to allow in the bird. The owl seemed to glare up at Remus as it held out its leg with a letter attached to it. Remus grabbed the letter, not even wincing when the bird pecked at his hand. Realizing it wasn't getting an owl treat, the bird flew back out the window.

Remus didn't even notice that however, he had opened the letter and begun to read:

_Dear Remus,_

_I know this will be hard to believe Remus, but the Potters have somehow returned to life thanks to their young son Harry. Young Harry found the Mirror of Erised in one of the disused classrooms here at Hogwarts…I'm sure you've heard of the Mirror? I believed that it only showed one's deepest desires, but Harry somehow pulled his parents out of the Mirror._

_I am still at a loss to explain it, but this is a joyous event nonetheless. I can confirm that they are indeed the Potters, through James' Patronus and the care they showed Harry. However, they had one questionable claim. They claimed that Sirius Black is innocent, and that Peter Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper._

_I am inclined to believe them, as they showed evidence that seemed to point at young Peter. I still do not know if Sirius is innocent for killing Peter, but he is at least innocent of betraying the Potters. I am truly sorry I didn't find this out sooner Remus. But I have taken up enough of your time…I believe that the Potters went to James' family home. I am certain you would like to visit them._

_Sincerely,_

_Headmaster of Hogwarts_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
_

Once he finished reading the letter, Remus let it drop from shaking hands. That letter had just confirmed what Remus had already been suspicious about.

_James and Lily were alive!_

Once again, Remus John Lupin collapsed on his bed. His brain was in overdrive, trying to rationalize what he had just learned, and failing miserably. Considering he was the Hermione of the Marauders, Remus had read many books in his day. So he knew about the Mirror of Erised, and was just as much at a loss as Dumbledore as to how Harry could have...

_Harry!_

Hearing, or rather reading, that name brought back guilt and painful memories to the werewolf. Guilt at not visiting or making any effort to know Harry, and painful memories of happier times. Uncle Moony...that was what James had always introduced him as to little Harry. While the youngest Potter had never been quite as attached to Remus as Sirius (and even thinking about that man brought back even more painful memories), there were still fond memories of better days. Harry had loved Remus despite his scars, and his eyes.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Remus got back to his feet and took a deep breath. While he was still suspicious (one could hardly blame him) he was still hopeful. He knew Albus' handwriting anywhere, so the letter hadn't been faked. And add that with the Patronus...it truly looked like his friends were back. So, with another deep breath, he spun on the spot and left for Potter Manor.

* * *

Meanwhile, James and Lily were calmly sleeping. But James was awoken when he felt someone Apparate through the Wards around the Manor. Quickly rousing Lily, James moved towards the door silently. The pair didn't want to wake the children. Though, the Anti-Appariation Wards _should_ have stopped anyone who meant harm to the family or its guests. The only men alive who could get through were Remus, Sirius, and Peter. It was only for the last one, that Jame grabbed his wand.

"Who is it James?" Lily asked softly, once they were sufficiently far away from the kids.

"I don't know Lily. I hope it is Remus…he has to have received my message by now," James replied, as the elder Potters walked towards the entrance of the Manor, "and I hope it isn't Peter...I don't know how I would react."

With that ominous proclamation, the Potters continued on their way. When they reached the entry hall, the pair saw the door swing open. Standing in the darkness was a tall man, with graying brown hair and nasty scars. Most would be worried by his appearance, and indeed, James and Lily _were_ worried. For a different reason though. He looked so...old and worn down. Nothing like they remembered from their school days.

"Ja…James…Lily…" the man said, slowly taking a step forward.

"Is that you Moony?" James asked warily...after all, while the man _looked_ like Remus, he was so...different.

His only answer was the man rushing forward and enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug. James flinched slightly, before coughing as he tried to breathe through constricted lungs. Remus hadn't been the 'huggy' type, but..._MERLIN_...this hurt.

"Prongs…I thought you were dead. God, I watched them bury you! I can't believe you're back," the man, now identified as Remus, said without taking a breath.

James patted his old friend on the back. It was meant to be comforting at first, but after a couple pats it got a bit more urgent.

"Remus...can't...breathe...crushing...me..." James got out.

Remus stepped back sheepishly, and moved to hug Lily this time, "I'm so glad you are back. These past years have been so hard…with you two and Peter dead, and Sirius a traitor…"

After detaching herself from Remus, Lily looked him straight in the eyes, "Peter may not be dead…and Sirius isn't a traitor Remus."

Remus nodded, "I was told that in Albus' letter…but I didn't quite believe it until you told me. I've believed that Sirius betrayed us all for ten years…its…hard, to let go of that."

Both Lily and James frowned slightly at that. While it wasn't a problem that Remus had to let go of ten years of misguided anger, the fact he so willingly believed _them_ was a bit of a problem. Hell, they were happy to have him back, but shouldn't _Remus Lupin_ be a bit more suspicious? It seemed odd he so readily believed them.

"I don't blame you Moony. I blame Albus for not getting Padfoot a trial sooner, even if I can understand why he didn't. But we're working on that," James said, "but...why do you believe me? Or that I am James Potter?"

Remus frowned, "I...feel like I should be doubting things more, but if you were a Death Eater I would be dead by now. And the Patronus, with Albus' letter...I don't have a reason to doubt you Prongs. Yes, it is hard to believe. Yes, I'm halfway convinced this is a dream and I'm going to wake up any second now. But..."

This time it was James who hugged his old friend, "I'm happy to have you back too Moony. Now come on, we need to get some food in you...you look horrible mate, no offense."

Remus snorted, but still gladly followed him in…he wasn't lying when he said how happy he was to have his friends back. And soon enough he would meet Harry…would he still remember 'Uncle Moony'? Remus certainly hoped so…it would be yet more good news.

* * *

**AN: I'm still not sure why writing the part where Remus meets James/Lily is so hard. That part isn't that much longer than the original (though I did add a little to it). Meh, at least I got it up :D  
**

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Though I don't know when I'll be able to get another one up considering my writing schedule.  
**


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